Egg..salant Stitching!: How to Cross Stitch on Eggs

Tutorials and inspiration for cross stitching on eggs

You all know by now that I love stitching on different items. Why stick to just cross stitch cloth when there is so many more options out there. Nothing is safe from our cross stitchy minds! If we can poke a hole in it, we can stitch on it. Case in point...Eggs! Easter is right around the corner and sure you could do the same old Easter egg dyeing. . You could even color your name on the side with a wax crayon but really, who wants that?

Say it with me, "BORING!" You may think stitching on eggs may be too hard or they are too fragile. You are so wrong! They are tough and you can keep the eggs for years and years to come Grab your floss, dremel tool and needle and get creative with me. You will blow yourself away at how you can stitch on anything, including eggs from your fridge!

Stitching on a egg doesn't have to be terrifying. It can take some practice but I know you can do it! Remember, they are just eggs! You can always get and make more. Take the broken yokes and bake yourself a cake because once you get the technique done you will want to reward yourself. There are several sites and Youtube videos that will help you in the process. Lorrie Popow's video for cross stitching on eggs is a great place to start. She walks you through the steps and while her eggs are very intricate, you can start small and work your way up.

If that video seems a bit advanced for you, there is another great and easy to follow tutorial on Crafts.TutePlus.com. This blog entry gives you a master list of everything you need and step-by-step instructions, including pictures of how to achieve this beautiful technique.

I really love how the author shows us how to clean the egg and prepare it. I think a lot of tutorials skip that part because they think we already know, well, we don't, so the added steps are a wonderful bonus. You can see the tutorial, as well as get patterns for your eggs, HERE.

What if you don't have a dremel tool or the means to punch holes into your egg? You can still achieve the cross stitched effect with permanent markers. This is a quick and easy way to "stitch" your eggs without all the mess. This is a great idea for little kids and for boiled eggs. I love the idea of doing this for a fancy lunch. Decorate your eggs and see the smiles form. Fiber Flux offers up a fast tutorial on a last minute egg decorating idea. You don't have to be a master artist or cross stitcher to whip these decorative eggs up. You can see the tutorial and get inspired HERE.

Adding color to your eggs can be easily achieved with the brightly colored plastic version. The idea is basically the same-use a dremel tool, map out your pattern and stitch. The only issue you will encounter is the fact that the plastic egg comes in two different pieces. One way to hide that is to incorporate it into your pattern.

Stitch around it, add some lace, maybe some washi tape. You can customize these eggs to fit in with your decor.

Hopefully by now, I have offered up some inspiration for Easter egg stitching. This craft doesn't have to be something that you are scared of. Dive right in! You don't have to be an artist or even know how to draw a straight line. You can do any design you want. It's your egg! Make it fun, not a chore and get the kids involved. It is a treat that will last for years and years. Let your imagination flow...or hop down the Easter bunny trail!